Barriers to Trust Between Police and Disadvantaged Communities: A Comparative Analysis of Officers' and Residents' Perspectives in San Antonio, Texas

Trust between police officers and residents of disadvantaged communities remains a critical issue in contemporary policing. This study explores the barriers preventing trust between law enforcement officers and residents in San Antonio, Texas, using a qualitative comparative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 18 participants, including eight law enforcement officers and 10 residents from disadvantaged communities. The findings indicate that officers perceive public distrust as driven largely by negative media portrayals, lack of public understanding of police work, and community reluctance to cooperate, whereas residents attribute distrust to personal and historical experiences, inconsistent police presence, a lack of accountability, and procedural justice failures. Applying Procedural Justice Theory and Social Capital Theory, this study finds that procedural justice failures degrade police-community relations, while weak bridging and strong bonding social capital perpetuate cycles of mistrust. Despite differences in perspectives, both groups recognize the need for enhanced community policing strategies including positive interactions not related to law enforcement. This research contributes to sociological literature by emphasizing the reciprocal nature of trust and the necessity of structural reforms to address officer and resident concerns. Policy recommendations include independent oversight mechanisms, expanded community engagement programs, and targeted training to strengthen procedural justice. Future research should examine residents’ intergenerational transmission of police distrust and the impact of policing on officer mental health.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology

Grantor

Texas State University

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Tolliver, Derrick

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Pino, Nathan W.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Price, Robert
• Williams, Howard

• police-community trust
• disadvantaged communities
• procedural justice
• social capital
• policing
• public trust
• community policing
• law enforcement
• qualitative research
• San Antonio
• Texas
• criminal justice reform
• officer perspectives
• resident perspectives
• systemic inequality
• police legitimacy

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10877/20909

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/20909